C# guitar chord (Db)

C♯ major · D♭ · C♯maj · C♯M

The C# guitar chord, also written Db, is played x43121, starting at the 1st fret. Its notes are C#, E# and G#.

C# chord at the 1st fret (x43121)

Fingering: x43121
Fingers: – 4 3 1 2 1
Difficulty: Hard
Position: 1st fret

C# barre chord, 4th fret (446664)

Fingering: 446664
Fingers: 1 1 2 3 4 1
Difficulty: Hard
Position: barre chord, 4th fret

C# chord at the 6th fret (986669)

Fingering: 986669
Fingers: 3 2 1 1 1 4
Difficulty: Hard
Position: 6th fret

C# barre chord, 9th fret (9-11-11-10-9-9)

Fingering: 9-11-11-10-9-9
Fingers: 1 3 4 2 1 1
Difficulty: Hard
Position: barre chord, 9th fret

PNG PDF

Notes in the C# major chord

The C# chord is made of C♯ · E♯ · G♯. Its formula is 1–3–5.

Note	Degree	Interval from C#
C♯	1	root
E♯	3	major third
G♯	5	perfect fifth

How to play the C# guitar chord

Lay your first finger flat across the 1st fret, from the G string to the high E string.
Put your second finger on the 2nd fret of the B string.
Put your third finger on the 3rd fret of the D string.
Put your fourth finger on the 4th fret of the A string.
Strum from the A string down and leave the low E string out.

That is the 1st fret shape, x43121. It is rated hard: 4 fingers, 5 strings, a 4-fret stretch.

Why your C# chord buzzes or sounds muted

Low E string is not part of this C# shape. Start your strum on the A string, or rest your thumb on the unused string to keep it quiet.

The shape spans 4 frets. Keep your thumb low behind the neck so your fingers can spread, and place the widest finger first.

C# barre chord

C# has 2 barre shapes here: 446664 (barre at the 4th fret) and 9-11-11-10-9-9 (barre at the 9th fret).

A barre shape has no open strings, so it moves. Slide any of them up one fret and you are playing D.

Keys with the C# chord

C# is the I chord in Db major, V chord in F# major and IV chord in Ab major. In minor keys it is the III chord in Bb minor, VII chord in Eb minor and VI chord in F minor.

All major guitar chords

Every C# chord on guitar

Dbmaj7x43111

C# guitar chord questions

How do you play a C# chord on guitar?

Play x43121, reading from the low E string to the high E string. An x means the string is not played and a 0 means it rings open. The fingers used are - 4 3 1 2 1.

What notes are in the C# chord?

The C# major chord has 3 notes: C#, E# and G#. Its formula is 1–3–5, counted from the C# major scale.

What keys is the C# chord in?